Life Insurance for Epilepsy

Have you been declined for life insurance or asked to pay a much higher rate due to your epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has repeated convulsions or seizures over time. A single seizure that does not occur again is not considered epilepsy.

Epilepsy occurs when permanent changes in brain tissue cause the brain to become over excited or jumpy. Basically, the brain sends out abnormal signals, resulting in repeated, unpredictable seizures.

Symptoms vary by person: Some people having staring spells, while others experience loss of alertness and violent shaking.

The type of seizure depends on the cause and the part of the brain affected.

When you are diagnosed with epilepsy will affect your rate for life insurance. If you are being treated for epilepsy or have been diagnosed, you will most likely pay a higher rate for your life insurance policy.

First, it’s important for you to understand how life insurance carriers look at applicants with epilepsy. What are they looking for, how can you prepare for your application, and what will be the likely result of your request for coverage?

Key Factors That Affect Life Insurance for Epilepsy:

Age of Epilepsy Diagnosis

Frequency of seizures or effects

Behavior and Occupation

Top Companies for Life Insurance for Epilepsy

Which are the best companies offering life insurance coverage to people with epilepsy?

Here is a list of some of the most competitive life insurance carriers that provide life insurance to people living with epilepsy:

Epilepsy is a condition of the brain, which affects the nervous
system causing seizures. Also known as seizure disorder, it is usually
diagnosed after someone has had at least 2 seizures not caused by some other
known medical condition.

What is a Seizure?

A seizure is a disruption of the electrical communication
between the neurons in the brain. Epileptic seizures may be caused by brain
injury or family genetics; however, in most cases the cause is unknown.

Someone is said to have epilepsy if they experience two or
more unprovoked seizures separated by at least a period of 24 hours.

Types of Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders

Here are the most common types of seizures which may occur with an epileptic:

Simple Partial Seizure

No physical symptoms and do not lose consciousness. Person experiences a strong déjà vu, or sensations of falling or movement. In simple partial seizures a small part of one of the lobes may be affected and the person remains conscious.

Simple partial seizures usually start suddenly and are very brief, typically lasting 60 to 120 seconds.

Simple Complex Seizures

The person remains conscious and has minor physical symptoms. complex partial seizure affects a larger part of the hemisphere than a simple partial seizure and the person may lose consciousness.

Petit Mal Seizure

This is also referred to as a staring spell. It is a short-term disturbance of your normal brain function which usuallly lasts no more than 15 seconds. This is caused by abnormal electrical activity in your brain.

Grand Mal Seizure

Also known as a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, it is a type od seizure involving the entire body. The term convulsion or seizure is most often associated with generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Epilepsy is more common than Parkinson’s, Cerebral Palsy, and Multiple Sclerosis combined.

Statistics of Epilepsy

65 MILLION: Number of people around the word who have
epilepsy.

OVER 2 MILLION: Number of people in the United States who
have epilepsy.

1 IN 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at
some point in their lifetime.

BETWEEN 4 and 10 OUT OF 1,000: Number of people on earth who
live with active seizures at any one time.

150,000: Number of new cases of epilepsy in the United
States each year.

ONE-THIRD: Number of people with epilepsy who live with
uncontrollable seizures because no available treatment works for them.

6 OUT OF 10: Number of people with epilepsy where the cause
is unknown.

Life insurance carriers will be concerned with how you are
keeping your epilepsy under control, what measures and precautions you are
taking to control your epilepsy.

Key Factors the Life
Insurance Companies look at Include:

When did you have your first seizure?

When you were diagnosed with epilepsy – at what age and how
long ago?

What was your diagnosis – what type of epilepsy?

Type of seizures you experience?

Frequency of your epileptic attacks?

Date of your last seizure – how long ago?

What steps have you taken since your diagnosis?

The degree of control of your epilepsy as indicated by your
lab results, medical records and height/weight measurements?

What type of treatment do you currently take for your
epilepsy – what prescriptions?

What other medical conditions do you have?

Do you use any use tobacco products?

Preparing for Your
Life insurance Application

There are several things you can do to be best prepared
before applying for life insurance. Doing so may help your chances of getting
approved for a policy at the best rating class possible. The better your rating
class, the lower your rate for life insurance.

Here are Several Tips
to Prepare for Applying for Life Insurance:

Visit your doctor as often as recommended.

Follow your doctor’s advice for taking medication and any
treatments.

Ask your doctor to make sure all of your medical records are
updated on a regular basis. This is a critical suggestion. The life insurance
company may place you in a lower rate class if it is not able to determine your
level of control for your epilepsy.

Make sure you have all other health conditions under
control. For example, if you have high cholesterol, make sure it is treated
properly.

Information on
Epilepsy Life Insurance

Life insurance premiums are usually lower for people who
keep their blood pressure down with proper medication.

Premiums are usually lower for those epileptics who diet and
exercise.

Premiums are usually higher for those who do not visit their doctor on a regular basis.

NOTE: You may want to get approved for life insurance
and start your coverage. Then, work on improving your life insurance rate
classification through better control of your lab results.

If you have infrequent seizures and are being treated
successfully with medication, you may have the best chance of getting the your
life insurance coverage at a standard rate.

If you have more recent seizures, more often, your rate will
be higher.

And, if your condition is severe, and not stable, with a
more recent diagnosis, and frequent hospital visits, chances are you may find
it more difficult to get approved for life insurance.

Can you qualify for
life insurance?

Yes, you can qualify for life insurance coverage if you have
epilepsy. However, the approval and the rate class you are placed in based on
your medical history can be unpredictable.
However, if you follow our tips stated above you may have a better
chance at finding affordable life insurance coverage.

Life Insurance Quotes for Epileptics

Top Pick – JRC Insurance Group

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